Boxes, cases and containers for personal use



Nov; 27, 1956 G} s. LAUGHTON 2,771,694

BOXES, CASES AND CONTAINERS FOR PERSONAL USE Filed Oct. 9, 1953 FlGJ.

2' 5| s2 .25 aa FIG.4.

r/wzwrorv" i 12M 20 as fiv BOXES, CASES AND CONTAINERS FOR PERSGNAL USE George Stratton Laughton, Birmingham, England Application October 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,236 Claims priority, application Great Britain August 21, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 4070) This invention relates to containers for personal use, such as powder compacts, cigarette cases and the like which, more generally, are provided with a hinged lid or other close-fitting closure member co-operating with the body of the container.

As an identification means such containers are sometimes provided with initial letters or devices which can be varied to suit the name, or the individual taste, of the user.

It is an object of the invention to provide within one of the parts of the container an improved mounting of rotary means on which a set or sets of difierent characters are appropriately inscribed for display selectively to view at an aperture or apertures in a wall of the container according to the setting of the rotary means, which is effected by a removable operating pawl.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a guideway leading from an entry slot or opening in the container to a position in relation to the rotary means on which the set or sets of characters are inscribed, said entry slot and guideway serving for the reception of the removable operating pawl and for directing the pawl into a position Where it can be made to engage, and, by a continued thrust, to move the rotary means for the display of a desired character at an aperture or apertures in the case.

A still further object of the invention is the formation of the removable pawl as a two limbed member, one limb serving for engaging and moving the rotary means and the other serving as a stop to limit the stroke of the pawl in engagement with the rotary means. Also to form a mounting plate providing bearings for the rotary means and the guideway for the removable pawl as well as providing resilient means to hold the rotary means in set positions against backlash or other displacement as the pawl is withdrawn or any other displacement.

The present invention provides, within one of the parts of the container, a mounting for a movable member carrying the letters of the alphabet, or a series of devices, in positions in which each letter or device can, according to the movement of the member, be displayed in turn at a window aperture in the part of the container, and is characterised in that in combination with notches, teeth, or the like in or on the moving member a guideway is provided in relation thereto for the reception of a removable operating pawl and for directing the pawl to a position where it can be made to engage, and by a continued thrust to move, the movable member sufiiciently to replace the letter or device previously displayed by the next succeeding letter or device of the series.

For the display of initials, it is preferable to employ two movable members, each carrying letters, one member on each side of the guideway and to divide the guideway and provide the removable operating pawl with a second limb which enters the other compartment of the guideway to that in which the pawl is inserted. This second limb can be shaped in a manner that renders it incapable of operative engagement with either of themembers but nited States Patent 0 enables it to impinge upon the one to which the pawl is not directed and so serve as a stop to limit the thrust of the pawl on the member to which the pawl is directed. It may also assist in the guiding of the pawl. The doublelimbed removable operating member is reversible so that the pawl can be inserted in either compartment of the guideway to engage either moving member at will in order to selectively set such member to display any letters in combination at the display aperture or apertures of the container.

The appended drawings show a preferred embodiment of construction in which the container is of the kind comprising two shallow parts hinged together and having means for displaying two initial letters or devices.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the container with a portion of the wall of one-half of it broken away.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the interior of one part of the container showing a pair of rotary devices mounted therein and a removable pawl in position to move one of them.

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2, but at the end of a stroke of the removable pawl.

Figure 4. is a view of a mounting plate incorporating a guideway for the pawl and integral engaging means for retaining the rotary devices at rest in adjusted positions.

The container for personal use as a powder compact, cigarette case, or the like illustrated in the drawings comprises two component parts 10 and 11 hinged together by hinges 12 provided between the respective edges of surrounding flanges 13, 14. In the flange 13 of the part 10 an elongated opening 15 is provided and in the wall of the part are formed two window apertures 16 and 17 for the display of initial letters. The window apertures are placed appropriately in relation to the sides of discs or fiat rings 18, 19 on which letters are marked. The discs or flat rings are mounted in the component part 10 with their circumferential edges near each other where a tangential line drawn between their nearest portions will, if continued, bisect the elongated opening 15.

A mount plate providing bearings for the discs or flat rings 18, 19 which form the rotary means, is shown in Figure 4 and is referred to generally by the numeral 20. The reverse side of this mount plate 20 to that seen in Figures 2 and 3 is seen in Figure 4. The mount is cut outto leave adjacent part-circular bearing portions 21, 22 and 23, 24 in which the discs or rings 18, 19 are respectively placed and retained in a manner permitting them to turn. It is clipped to an external profile as at 25 and 26 enabling it to be located within the flanged container part 10 when resting on the inner face of the main wall thereof. A median portion is cut out to provide two oppositely directed resilient fingers 27 and 28 and also a thin division rib 29 connecting the two spaced parts-25 and 26. The side edges of the oppositely directed fingers, which are towards the respective openings between the bearings 21, 22 and 23, 24 for the discs, are complementarily curved thereto but are clear of the discs when the parts are assembled within the container part 10. The tips of the fingers are, however, curved towards the discs and are arranged so that they can engage each with one of a series of regularly spaced notches 30 in the discs. On each side of the thin rib 29, which is tangential to the circumference of each disc, the thickness of the mount is reduced to provide a guide channel marked respectively 31 and 32. Each guide channel communicates with the elongated opening 15 in the flange and forms a part of the guide way for the operating member 33 when it is introduced through the said opening.

The operating member 33 is bifurcated at one end, one limb being longer than the other and made slightly curved towards its end terminating with an outwardly turned edge. This limb forms a pawl 34 for engaging one of the notches 30 of either of the discs or rings and partially turning the disc as the member 33 is pressed inwards. The other limb 35 is of greater width and is straight on its inner edge and inclined at its outer edge near t-he end so that it acts as a wedge between a part of the circumference of a disc or ring and the division rib 29 between the two guide channels 31 and 32. It is guided in the opposite channel to that in which the pawl has been inserted. This wedging action occurs at the end of the stroke of the pawl 34 necessary to rotate the disc or ring with which it is engaged through an angle subtended by the curved edge between two notches.

The bifurcated operating member 33 is bodily removable from the part of the case through its entry opening so that it can be removed and turned over and reinserted with the pawl in the other guide channel in order that the other disc or ring of the'pair can be operated in turn for its correct setting to give the initials desired.

In Figure 2 of the drawings'the pawl 34 of the operating member is engaging a notch of disc or ring 19 and is guided in channel or guideway 32 whereas the wedgeended limb 35 is in the channel or guideway 31. The position is at-the commencement of a stroke to move the disc or ring 19 in the direction of the arrow 36. The resilient finger tip 28 engaging a notch of this disc or ring is shaped so that it will yield readily to imposed movement in the direction of the arrow 36 but will resist any backward movement.

Figure 3 shows the position of the parts at the end of the stroke. The pawl is stopped by the wedge limb 35 engaging the disc or ring 18 and the end of the resilient finger 28 snaps into the next notch of the series on the disc or ring 19 to hold the disc in adjusted position against any backward movement.

The mount plate with the discs or rings 18, 19 in the bearing apertures can be covered within the container part 10 by a mirror (not shown) or a light metal lining plate or other cover and the assembly can be readily sec-ured'in place by a bezel frame 37 which is a press fit into the flange 13 of the part of the container.

If desired the article may be supplied without the op-' erating member 33 to the user after the jeweller or shop keeper has set the discs or rings 18, 19 to display the initials desired.

-Inthe example illustrated and described in detail, the pant- 10 may be a cover and the part 11a container appropriately fitted in any suitable known manner for a powder compact.

I claim:

1. Container for personal use comprising main component parts and having Within one of them a rotary means of circular for-m carrying characters such as letters, a means for mounting said rotary means within the com ponent part and permit-ting stepwise rotation of it, said mounting means being a cut out plate providing bearing means for the rotary means and integral with the plate a means for engaging the rotary means and retaining it in a position of rest as well as guide means for an operating member for turning the rotary means, said operating member including a pawl-for engaging any one of a series of notches in the cincular rotary means and also including a" limb which co-operates with the guide means and forms a stop limiting the movement of the operating member.

2. A container for personal use comprising, main casing parts, each part having a flange around its periph ery, and one part having display apertures in a wall thereof, means for mounting within the said aperture'd part in side-by-side relation 21 pair of circular rotary members each having spaced notches around its periphery and carrying around a face which is towards the displayapertures a series of identifying characters, the

flange ofthe said apertured part having an opening therein, meansfo'rm'ing a' guide'way withinthe s'aid 'a 'a'ei tured part, the guideway leading from the opening in the flange to the adjacent parts of the circumference of the rotary members, an operating member having a pawllike limb and an adjacent wedge-ended limb, the operating member being insertable through the opening in the flange and movable inwardly in the guideway so that the pawl-like limb engages the notches on the periphery of the first rotary member and moves the first rotary member, the wedge-ended limb of the operating member cooperating with the periphery of the second rotary member and the guideway to limit inward movement of the operating member to that necessary for rotating the said first rotary member through a portion of a revolution sufficient to replace a character on the first rotary member opposite the display aperture in the wall of the said casing part by another, and resilient means for holding the rotary members in positions of rest.

3. Container for personal use comprising, a containing part and a cover part, the parts being hinged together and each having a surrounding flange,- said cover part having two window apertures in the wall thereof and the flange of the cover part having an elongated opening therein, a pair' of flat circular members mounted for rotation within th'e cove'r part with their circumferential edges near each other where a tangential line drawn midway between them will, if continued, bisect the elongated o'penin'g in the cover flange, characters marked around one face of each circular member in such manner that as the member is turned about its own center a character in turn will be displayed through the adjacent window aperture, pawl engagement means such as notches formed around the peripheries of the circular members, a bifurcated operating member insertable into the elongated opening, means forming a guideway directed from the'elongated opening towards the adjacent circumferen tial edges of the two circular members, and a rib dividing the guideway into parallel guide channels for guiding a pawl-like limb and an adjacent wedge-ended limb of the operating member towards the circular members, the pawl-like limb for engaging pawl engagement means of one circular member and for rotating the said circular member and the wedge-ended limb to cooperate with the periphery of the other circular member and with the guideway to limit'movement of the operating member to that necessary for rotating the first mentioned circular member through a portion of a revolution suflicient to replace a character on the'first mentioned circular member opposite a window aperture in the wall of the cover part by another, and a retaining device for each circular member to hold it at rest except when rotated by the pawl-like limb of the operating member.

4. Container for personal use comprising, main component parts,- each part having a flanged wall around its periphery,'hinging' means connecting the two parts, one of said parts'having display apertures in a wall thereof, means for mounting within the said apertured part in side-by-side relation a pair of circular rotary members each carrying around a face which is towards the display apertures a'series of identifying characters, said mounting'rneans comprising a plate'with cut-out portions providing bearing openings for the two rotary members and defining two major regions" of the plate, resilient fingers integral withthe' plate extending from one of said major regions into each of the said bearing openings for engaging any one of a series of notches in the circumferential edges of the rotary members and for holding the respective rotary members in positions of rest, the flange in said apertured part having an opening formed therein, means'forming a guideway in the other major region of the mounting plate in a position Where it leads from the opening inthe flange to the adjacent parts of the circumference of the rotary members, a'ribformed integral withthe"'mounting 'plate tangentialfto each of the" said bearing" opening'sconnjc cting together the" said major ref-i gidils oftlie" rrioiinting 'platahd dividing' the' said 2 guide way into parallel guide channels, a bifurcated operating member the limbs of which are insertable through the opening in the flange into the guide channels so that when the operating member is moved inwardly it can engage a notch of a rotary member and move the rotary member through a portion of a revolution in order to replace a character on the rotary member opposite the display aperture in the wall of the component part by another.

5. Container for personal use comprising, main component parts, each part having a flanged wall around its periphery, hinging means connecting the two parts, one part having display apertures in a wall thereof, means for mounting within the said apertured part in side-byside relation a pair of circular rotary members each carrying around a face which is towards the display apertures a series of identifying characters, said mounting means comprising a plate with cut-out portions providing bearing openings for the two rotary members and defining two major regions of the plate, resilient fingers integral with the plate extending from one of said major regions into each of the said bearing openings for engaging any one of a series of notches in the circumferential edges of the rotary members and for holding the respective rotary members in positions of rest, the flange in said apertured part having an opening therein, means forming a guideway in the other major region of the mounting plate in a position where it leads from the opening in the flange to the adjacent parts of the circumference of the rotary members, a rib formed integral with the mounting plate tangential to each of the said hearing openings connecting together the said major regions of the mounting plate and dividing the said guideway into parallel guide channels, a bifurcated operating member having a pawl-like limb and an adjacent wedgeended limb, said limbs being insertable through the opening in the flange into the guide channels so that when the operating member is moved inwardly its pawl-like limb can engage a notch of one of the said rotary members to rotate the said rotary member, the wedge-ended limb cooperating with the other rotary member and with the rib to limit movement of the operating member to that necessary for rotating the first mentioned rotary member through a portion of a revolution suflicient to replace a character on the first mentioned rotary member opposite the display aperture in the wall of the component part by another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 488,461 Wallin Dec. 20, 1892 1,054,185 Dennis Feb. 25, 1913 2,369,717 Compton Feb. 20, 1945 2,492,891 Schall Dec. 27, 1949 

